Russia wants Kursk back before negotiations. Ukraine isn’t budging.

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Posted on 11/16/2024 7:46:28 AM PST by marcusmaximus

Ukrainian troops are facing down a ferocious Russian counteroffensive in Kursk as Putin seeks to take back Russian land before any talks.

The fight to control some 200 square miles of land in western Russia became even more brutal in recent days as the Kremlin, ahead of possible negotiations with the incoming Trump administration to end the war, appears set on removing Russian territory from the equation.

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The timing appears to demonstrate the Kremlin’s growing appreciation for how Kursk may play into future talks: If negotiations are to occur, Russia wants to make sure only Ukrainian land is up for debate.

“It is clear that Moscow will not start any negotiations until they have kicked out every last Ukrainian soldier from Kursk,” Konstantin Remchukov, the editor in chief of Nezavisimaya Gazeta who moves in Kremlin circles, told The Washington Post. Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want Kursk to be used as a bargaining chip — nor does he want to be forced to relinquish any of the Ukrainian territory he has captured since Russia’s invasion, Remchukov added. Putin’s recent mentions that any deal needs to reflect the “realities on the ground” refers to Russia’s hopes to recapture Kursk, he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...

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